Mercedes-Benz India is celebrating their 25th anniversary of operations in the country this year. Kick-starting the model offensive of 2019 with the launch of the V-Class last week, the German carmaker plans to bring in many new vehicles to India this year including their first all-electric product – the EQC. Mercedes’ new India head, Martin Schwenk, said that the electric SUV under the EQ brand may arrive in India towards the end of 2019.

Apart from leading the electric charge amongst its competitors, Mercedes-Benz also plans to locally assemble the hybrid vehicles in India. The Three-Pointed Star has already rolled out BS-VI compliant vehicles ahead of the April 2020 deadline. So the next focus is to bring in the EVs and hybrids, according to reports. The carmaker locally assembles nine out of 15 cars in India, so adding a hybrid line at their plant won’t be an arduous task.

Schwenk said that, for further localisation, he sees hybrid vehicles as the first step because it has the higher market potential in the midterm. And “the overall macroeconomic environment is better than what it was six months ago. While volatility is still prevalent, the government is taking steps to create stability”, he added.

Mercedes-Benz first showcased the Generation EQ concept back in 2016 under the newly-formed EQ brand. The EQ electric crossover is the first of the 10 all-electric products from Mercedes which are slated to arrive by 2025.

The EQC is powered by two electric motors on each axle. The combined output of 300kW (402bhp) and a maximum twisting force of 765Nm is capable of pushing the crossover from standstill to 100kmph in just 5.1seconds. The zero-emission crossover can do a top speed of 180kmph and go 450km between charges. The motors are fed through an 80 kWh lithium-ion battery pack which weighs 650kilograms, claims Mercedes, thus tipping the scales for the EQC at 2,425kilograms.

The EQC arrives as a direct rival to Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model X. However, its prime nemesis is the Audi e-tron Quattro which too is India-bound. Meanwhile, the upcoming BMW iNext will join the fray in 2021.